Barcelona , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Not content with revolutionizing smart phones , mobile apps now appear to be in the driving seat of the auto industry as manufacturers increasingly surrender control of their vehicles to technology .

Signs of the increasing dominance of the app came on Monday with Ford 's decision to launch its newest B-Max compact at Mobile World Congress -- a phone industry gathering in Barcelona -- rather than a motor show .

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Bill Ford , the U.S. auto giant 's executive chairman , told CNN his company chose the event to debut its tech-filled car as a statement of its intention to work with app developers in shaping the vehicles of the future .

The B-Max is the first car in Europe to feature SYNC , a voice-recognition system developed by Ford and already available in some U.S. cars . The system links audio , phone and GPS systems and will also call emergency services in the event of a crash .

The increasing dependence of vehicles on computers has raised concerns that manufacturers are trading technology for safety , exposing drivers to hazardous distractions and malicious hackers .

But Ford , the great grandson of Henry Ford , insisted SYNC would `` allow drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the steering wheel , '' and said his company was working with app makers to further improve security .

`` Today , often , drivers are looking down and we know that they 're playing with their cell phone and texting and we want to stop all that , '' he told CNN .

`` We want them to be looking at the road with their hands on the wheel , and our tech is allowing them to do that , knowing they also want to be connected . ''

Ford said his firm 's current crop of hi-tech cars were capable of utilizing offboard `` cloud computing '' to expand their abilities , performing tasks like directing drivers to the nearest coffee shops , checking their health and keeping tabs on their daily diary .

He acknowledged this raised the prospect of potential breaches that could put valuable personal data in the hands of criminals but said the technology was currently being rolled out on an `` opt-in , opt-out '' basis .

The carmaker said the B-Max would eventually run its AppLink system , which will add control of smartphone apps to voice-operated commands . Among currently available apps are programs that read out Twitter updates and pick and choose radio stations .

More functions will follow as it partners with app developers , the company said in a statement .

`` Ford aims to deliver voice-control compatibility with apps for a wide range of services , and is now actively seeking to partner with app developers on future opportunities , '' it said in a statement .

Ford hopes the B-Max , which goes on sale in Europe later this year , will help expand its current 4 million U.S. SYNC users to 13 million worldwide by 2015 . It says the car should appeal to drivers previously priced out of the hi-tech market .

`` The all-new B-MAX is going to be a game-changer in the European compact family vehicle segment . No other vehicle in its class offers such an attractive combination of style , versatility and technology , '' Ford Europe 's chairman and CEO Stephen Odell said in a statement .

`` We think it will be among the most technologically advanced small cars you can buy at any price . ''

Barry Neild contributed to this story from London .

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Ford chooses to launch compact car at mobile phone event rather than a motor show

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B-Max features Ford 's latest voice-activated technology

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Ford says it wants to work with app developers in shaping its future vehicles